Historic SeaBreeze Tavern demolished
RIO DEL MAR—Nearly 11 months after a fire gutted the historic Seabreeze Tavern and severely weakened the structure, demolition of the building began Tuesday.
The work is being conducted by a private contractor, Santa Cruz County spokesperson Jason Hoppin said. It is not clear what...
Freedom McDonald’s celebrates reopening
WATSONVILLE—More than 100 people gathered in front of the newly rebuilt McDonald’s restaurant on Freedom Boulevard Tuesday for a grand reopening celebration.
The business, located at 1598 Freedom Blvd., replaces the one originally built in 1974, which had remained at the same location until demolition...
Sweet Earth Foods plant to close, 104 to lose jobs
MOSS LANDING—A Moss Landing company that has produced a variety of vegan foods since its inception in 2017 will close by May 6, laying off 104 employees.
In a March 4 Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notice to employees, Sweet Earth Foods said it...
NEST Flight returns May 4-5
WATSONVILLE—Since 2018, Watsonville-based nonprofit Digital NEST has hosted NEST Flight, a career development conference aiming to inspire young professionals and propel their careers.
The event features speakers, workshops, panel discussions, networking opportunities and more for people ages 17-24. During the conference, attendees have the opportunity...
PVPSA on track for December completion
Work is moving forward on the new addition to Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance (PVPSA) at the corner of East Lake and Brewington avenues.
Spicing up his life: Former tech engineer launches new food venture
APTOS—As a young man, Bapcha Murty moved from his native Chennai, India to attend UC Los Angeles and become an engineer. He went on to a career in the Silicon Valley tech industry that spanned more than two decades in several companies.
But when Murty...
Cafe Ella to be renamed ‘Strawberry Patch Cafe’
WATSONVILLE—Cafe Ella, 734 E Lake Ave., will soon be rebranding itself with a new name and design.
Owners Jennifer DeVault and Erika Conrad will rename the business “Strawberry Patch Cafe” this month. The twin sister team bought the popular cafe in 2019 from founder and...
Beer Mule opens in Watsonville
The owners of Beer Mule were hoping for an easy “soft opening” when they announced their first night via Instagram on Saturday.
Watsonville charter school moving into Gottschalks building
WATSONVILLE—Watsonville’s newest charter school now has a permanent home, and a long-vacant building on the Main Street corridor will soon have a new tenant.
Watsonville Prep School, which opened in August with 180 kindergarteners, first- and second-grade students, plans to occupy the second floor of...
The Bridge Street construction pounding: what is it, and when will...
On Tuesday afternoon, Jana Tenant was in her backyard in the Bay Village senior community of Watsonville, a place she calls her “sanctuary.”
But on...